A December Challenge

Time to wash away the doom and gloom of the dreaded rejection. Christmas is on the way, and this time of year always makes me want to do something good, something helpful, to make a difference.

So this holiday season I'm committing to doing one good deed, no matter how big or small, every day until Christmas. But that's not all. I'd like to spread the word, to see how many people I can get to join me in this challenge.

This doesn't have to be time consuming or expensive. Your deeds could be as simple of letting someone else take the coveted choice parking spot at the mall, returning a lost glove to an owner, or maybe baking cookies for a neighbour you know could use some cheering up. No matter what it is, it's sure to put a smile on someone's face. And chances are they'll be a little bit nicer to the next person they meet, and so on and so on...

So what do you say? Are you up for the challenge? Let's make this season the merriest it can be!

Pass it on...

It comes before "S"

When I opened my mailbox and saw an envelope with my own handwriting, my heart did a little flip but then promptly sunk when I saw how thin it was. Yes it was the response I'd been waiting for from the HAR pitch request I got this Summer. And the news was not good--an R.

On the plus side, I did get a page worth of feedback--brutally honest feedback that is hard to hear but worth its weight in gold. There were some positives in there, but basically she felt the story had too many predictable turns. And the predictable turns are an integral part of the story.

So this story is going to get shelved for a while. I need to move on...at least for now. Maybe someday I'll go back and try to fix the issues. But for now, it's time to get lost in something new.

Another Spark

Two days ago, I was having a somewhat heavy conversation with a coworker about loved ones we'd lost and how much I wished my kids could have known my father, and I'll be darned if an idea for a new children's story didn't pop into my head. Spark! Pop! Bang! Smacked me over the head. I love when that happens.

I've let it settle for a few days so I could work out the details in my head, but I think I'm ready to start writing it now. I'm going to try a new writing style since I think it'll work well for the story. Time to think outside the box, right? Why not?

Any new ideas percolating for you?